You can take from mine it was intended to use Cloud's animations and have him use the other color uniforms. I ended using red and use the soldiers helmet. The reason I didn't use Cloud's was because I didn't know how to program the animations in like I see some people doing.

The reason I didn't use Cloud's was because I didn't know how to program the animations in like I see some people doing.

You mean like which animations to set in Proud Clod when using a player character for an enemy? If that's the problem, I'll share my notes for it and the AI you should set for pre-battle (when they take damage, it soft-locks the game but setting their 'hurt' animation to their evasion one fixes it).

Actually as soon as I read this post I remembered you sent me a pm about it before too. I am currently at work and can't take the time needed to tell what his full moveset would be like. I'll pm you once I get off with how his should go.

@Sega ChiefI've been having a lot of fun with this mod so far. The emphasis on party roles, mobs, early materia access, unique armor/weapon properties, combat consumables, and scaling boss tactics bring back the nostalgia for me. It reminds me of the tight design decisions present in FF5, but at an even higher level thanks to normalizing values (equipment by tier, element overhaul, etc). Thank you for all your hard work. You rock.

I've gotten to Rocket Town and there are a few questions I have regarding my experience up to this point.

******Spoilers!*******

The Respectable Inn's Beginner Hall ghosts don't have the new dialogue. Are there any plans to change this?

Upon visiting Gongaga, Reno and Rude have absurdly low hp. Was that intentional?

Fort Condor is still a pain to get back to. Are there any plans to add in a way to reach the mini game expediently? Like via a Fort Condor runner in certain towns?

I feel like the limit breaks are, for the most part, properly reinforcing primary and secondary roles. Are there any plans to tweak Barret's limits to deal less damage while applying certain conditions, like armor break or power break? Any plans to tweak Cloud's limit breaks to have more utility to enhance his position as an all-rounder (ie Climhazard causing dual/confusion at the expense of extra damage over Blade Beam)?

Are there any plans to create an extra star for Sense? I feel like it'd be convenient to have a second level that gives info about what item can be stolen/morphed and if the target has any persistent buff, like the SoulKeeper's 2nd Phase Wall.

Also, I, for one, like the HP values you've given to bosses so far. It rewards players for exploiting the roles to their maximum potential (Speed Support abusing items, Physical DPS abusing Throw or Deathblow, Magic DPS abusing reflect). For players that don't care to optimize everything, Slow + Haste see their maximum value here, ensuring that players of all skill levels advance through these fights at a good clip. Kudos to you for the early Time materia. *thumbs up*

Just thought I'd post this in the event it hasn't been taken care of yet or not, but in Cloud's flashback I can't play the piano. I read that it was a problem in 1.0, but I'm using version 1.2 and having the same issue. Is there a way around this or a way to fix it?

@Sega ChiefI've been having a lot of fun with this mod so far. The emphasis on party roles, mobs, early materia access, unique armor/weapon properties, combat consumables, and scaling boss tactics bring back the nostalgia for me. It reminds me of the tight design decisions present in FF5, but at an even higher level thanks to normalizing values (equipment by tier, element overhaul, etc). Thank you for all your hard work. You rock.

Thanks for taking the time to prepare that feedback, it's very encouraging that you feel the mod is as tight as FF5; I remember that game's fights challenging me the most in the FF series. I try to make everything useful and keep innate weaknesses in the enemies to exploit; there are still improvements to make but I'm going to keep at it until it's perfect.

About the list:-) The first Beginner's Hall had a dialogue revision very early in the mod's development, but this hasn't been updated or brought across to the Respectable Inn yet (it's on the checklist for 1.3, though; I'm adding in as many tricks as possible or maybe some NT Boss info so that it's worth visiting).

-) The Gongaga Turks were left with low HP due to some debugging I was doing in that area recently and I forgot to restore their HP after fixing the issue; the current hotfix patch corrects this.

-) Limits can only be tweaked with an .exe patch; I've prepared an experimental .EXE for use with the NT Mod but it's strictly optional and will never be mandatory to play the mod due to clashes with other mods like Menu Overhaul that can arise. I tweaked Limits in this .exe, for instance making Braver stronger than Cross Slash and giving it a Debarrier effect while tweaking power, effects, etc. for the OP and weaker limits.

-) Adding the ability to see enemy buffs/debuffs to Sense would be great, but I'm not sure if it's feasible and would definitely require an .EXE modification of some kind. I could however add a pre-action AI to certain enemies not already using one that displays text detailing the Steal, Morph, and Drop of the enemy. Would be a bit of work, and I can't add that to bosses that already make use of pre-battle AI, but it could be an interesting addition to Sense or a command re-purposed to trigger this. I'll start some tests.

It's interesting that you've been using Throw, it doesn't seem to be used very often but it has a lot of potential. I've seen a lot of different strategies being used in tackling this mod's fights which makes me happy; I randomised the drops from bosses fought from Disc 1 to the beginning of Disc 2 as well so that different playthroughs might go differently based on what equipment a player got.

If Sega made a Fort Condor runner, I'd buy him tickets for a Distant Worlds show and buy him a couple of drinks

Consider it done, I'll make an NPC or perhaps assign a party member to handle Fort Condor return trips. Talk to them in town, and they'll transport you there. Expect that in v1.3, maybe a repeatable mini-game for Gold Saucer assuming it's all handled through the flevel.

Just thought I'd post this in the event it hasn't been taken care of yet or not, but in Cloud's flashback I can't play the piano. I read that it was a problem in 1.0, but I'm using version 1.2 and having the same issue. Is there a way around this or a way to fix it?

I'd forgotten that was an issue, I think it's because the field uses a separate 'Young Cloud' group during the flashback which is visually identical to 'real' Cloud (the current piano looks for party leader in the NT Mod, but Young Cloud likely doesn't have a handler added when he's 'party leader'; I'll repair it if that's the case).

It's interesting that you've been using Throw, it doesn't seem to be used very often but it has a lot of potential. I've seen a lot of different strategies being used in tackling this mod's fights which makes me happy; I randomized the drops from bosses fought from Disc 1 to the beginning of Disc 2 as well so that different playthroughs might go differently based on what equipment a player got.

Every time I make the pilgrimage back to Fort Condor, I buy Striking Staff x9 and steal every Boomerang I can along the way as a sort of pick-me-up. With a Crystal Bangle + Power Wrist, throwing those weapons net a little under 1k damage up till Rocket Town without grinding anything. It's a great go-to materia for boss slaying and it was my primary method of attaining Vincent ASAP alongside several Right Arms. Also, thank you for that well-placed HP <-> MP materia. That last trek to Fort Condor before getting the Tiny Bronco was filled with Summon spam. I'm impressed at how well a "summoner" build works in your mod.

Oh, so that's why I got a Relic Ring just for beating your new and improved Aps. That's hilariously awesome. <3

EDIT: Four minor things came up on my way up to Gaea's Cliff.

Ramuh + Added Effect does not grant anything regarding paralysis.

Gigas Armlet is supposed to have growth: none, but it says growth: normal.

Wutai's mobs mostly have no steal or morph item. Were there plans to add any?

Mobs in the Great Glacier and Gaea's Cliff randomly give 0 exp, which has ended up as a boon since the exp from bosses + exp plus actually set me at the correct level to Goblin PAWNCH many of the more threatening enemies.

-) I wasn't able to give Ramuh Materia the Paralysis status through the Wall Market tool; I think doing so would require an .exe edit, but if it's not an option in the tool then there must be some obstacle to doing this.-) For Gigas Armlet, I forgot to set the Armor slots to visually reflect the AP growth. Thing is, I can't remember if it's supposed to be None or changed to 1x. It'll be fixed for 1.3, I'll likely just give it AP growth.-) I've heavily revised enemy drops, steals, and morphs for 1.3. 99% of mobs will have something: a drop, two common steals, a very rare steal, and a Morph item. Certain enemies don't follow this rule, such as areas where the player is locked in and has no access to a rest point (Reactor 1 & 5 for instance).-) If EXP given has become 0, then it might be that you've hit Lv.40; regular enemies were set up with AI recently that will set EXP given to 0 if any characters present in the battle are Lv.40 or above. Certain repeatable bosses and the like will continue to give EXP up until lv.50-70 depending on how strong they are; it was a fail-safe added recently to help end-game stuff stay on a curve. If it proves unpopular, it'll be patched out but it should keep things interesting for thorough players who like to 100% the game.

-) For Gigas Armlet, I forgot to set the Armor slots to visually reflect the AP growth. Thing is, I can't remember if it's supposed to be None or changed to 1x. It'll be fixed for 1.3, I'll likely just give it AP growth.

Personally, I like having access to armor that has slots with no materia growth. I do NOT want certain materia to reach the next level at the point I'm at (screw Mug). In fact, I bought an extra steal materia thinking I'd need the spare just in case one leveled up. A lot of the materia I wanted to improve have already sat in the double growth slots anyway, and there are plenty of those.

-) If EXP given has become 0, then it might be that you've hit Lv.40; regular enemies were set up with AI recently that will set EXP given to 0 if any characters present in the battle are Lv.40 or above. Certain repeatable bosses and the like will continue to give EXP up until lv.50-70 depending on how strong they are; it was a fail-safe added recently to help end-game stuff stay on a curve. If it proves unpopular, it'll be patched out but it should keep things interesting for thorough players who like to 100% the game.

That explains everything. Cloud hit 40 just before Great Glacier. I had been cycling through the other party members, spending time to make sure I had stolen from and morphed every enemy at least once before abusing Exit (now with Sneak Attack) or the Summoner build to quickly take care of mobs, and everyone besides Cloud is 38 or below. I definitely like it now that I know what it is. There should be no issue with this fail-safe as I feel that many players that experiment with your mod know how to appreciate it. I do wish for something like adding a star next to the level (Chrono Trigger style) to denote a plateau in overall power, though I don't know how feasible that would be considering other menu mods. It would let players know what they've achieved while feeling like a pat on the back for players that have never encountered this system or are unfamiliar with how to interpret it. Additionally, having an NPC in the Respectable Inn explain these things would help round out the level of polish.

Personally, I like having access to armor that has slots with no materia growth. I do NOT want certain materia to reach the next level at the point I'm at (screw Mug). In fact, I bought an extra steal materia thinking I'd need the spare just in case one leveled up. A lot of the materia I wanted to improve have already sat in the double growth slots anyway, and there are plenty of those.

That explains everything. Cloud hit 40 just before Great Glacier. I had been cycling through the other party members, spending time to make sure I had stolen from and morphed every enemy at least once before abusing Exit (now with Sneak Attack) or the Summoner build to quickly take care of mobs, and everyone besides Cloud is 38 or below. I definitely like it now that I know what it is. There should be no issue with this fail-safe as I feel that many players that experiment with your mod know how to appreciate it. I do wish for something like adding a star next to the level (Chrono Trigger style) to denote a plateau in overall power, though I don't know how feasible that would be considering other menu mods. It would let players know what they've achieved while feeling like a pat on the back for players that have never encountered this system or are unfamiliar with how to interpret it. Additionally, having an NPC in the Respectable Inn explain these things would help round out the level of polish.

I guess a Zero growth armor needs to be in there somewhere. Gigas will be 0x then, like the original.

A star or similar might be out of the question, but I could fix up the Respectable Inn with all the information at least. I might need to change up the NPCs inside it though, so that people see they're new and become more likely to actually talk to them.

I guess a Zero growth armor needs to be in there somewhere. Gigas will be 0x then, like the original.

please no. please please please no.

pick something else. tifa desperately needs that gigas bracelet to stay relevant. other than cheesing powersoul+ death sentence, which i hate doing because it's cheap as all fern, physicals at the time you get that are still dragging ass considerably, (limits notwithstanding)

pick something else. tifa desperately needs that gigas bracelet to stay relevant. other than cheesing powersoul+ death sentence, which i hate doing because it's cheap as all fern, physicals at the time you get that are still dragging ass considerably, (limits notwithstanding)

1x for Gigas it is then. I'll see what I can do for early weapons, but the physical formula is like a see-saw.

pick something else. tifa desperately needs that gigas bracelet to stay relevant. other than cheesing powersoul+ death sentence, which i hate doing because it's cheap as all fern, physicals at the time you get that are still dragging ass considerably, (limits notwithstanding)

@seliusWhy does Tifa need growth on Gigas to be relevant??? None of the materia she would want to use benefit from gaining AP or being linked to support materia (meaning Edincoat works perfectly if you need some kind of growth + strength combo), and they will level up stupidly fast once you reach disk 3 anyway (triple growth weapons, baby). I don't understand your logic at all, here. Halp. You also definitely don't need Powersoul to do damage. She scales like a monster and so many aspects of the mod help facilitate that. Without going into specific limit, equipment, and materia combinations, you already have her fast strength growth (best in the game). You will do damage at a far faster rate than if you had death sentence + powersoul, from way before you even get that combo going, if you know what you're doing. Even a simple elemental materia will already have her dealing damage much faster and more efficiently than Aeris or Vincent with an appropriately leveled spell, and that's without any real set-up. There are also so many ways to abuse Motor Drive that it's mind boggling. Tifa is fine.

because gigas has linked slots and edincoat doesnt. that 10 extra str counts for a lot. everything you're saying to do is something i've already tested.

and motor drive ferning SUCKS. fern giving haste to a boss. fern IT. i learned my lesson fighting the powersoul keeper when he kept double turning and i finally noticed that the damn weapon adds haste to the enemies it hits.

yes, i know she scales like a boss late game. but you can't change elemental materia mid battle, you can certainly change elemental spell casts.

I think the trick with the Motordrive is that while it does inflict Haste on strike, it also gives +50 to Dex when equipped which is like having auto-haste except you can also still use Haste to make yourself even fasterer. Combine that with a Shinra Beta/Carbon Bangle and a ChocoFeather and you've got yourself the fastest thing alive. The Haste on strike is like a counter-balance to it, but there's ways to prevent it from being inflicted on an enemy. I'd personally use it for a support build rather than actually attacking with it though.

The Elemental in weapon can be quite effective because critical hits can double the damage again, but they're quite rigid because like you said you can't change them mid-battle which makes it hit & miss going through areas where enemies will have different elemental weaknesses. I consider that to be the balance with spells there; attacks are faster and have no cost, but they're not as versatile.

I just installed the latest 7th Heaven and selected your New Threat mod under the drop down menu of the default Gameplay/Story menu they have built in.I played it all yesterday and got up to the sector 5 reactor right before the boss. No problems, ran great.

Seconds ago, I just downloaded your new 1.2 IRO file, deactivated the old New Threat mod under 7th Heaven's drop down menu and activated your new one.

Now, I opened up my save game file and I'm at sector 5, right about to fight 'Plasmabuster' (great boss btw) and guess what, it's Ultra Weapon at condor tracks! I tried activating/deactivating the old and new/etc. but it's always Ultra Weapon... and also the random battles sometimes crash.